Arizona Head Coach Sean Miller
"It's great to be able to get better and win a highly challenging game at the same time. I told our guys in the locker room that I haven't had a better feeling about a team than the one I saw in the second half. Our first half was a disaster on offense, and we had far too many turnovers and mistakes. In the second half, we turned that all around and only had three turnovers. Our defense couldn't have given a better effort, and the crowd was also a big help. The team fed off their energy, and got the win."

"One of the bigger stories in today's game is about Kevin Parrom. He's probably practiced twice before today, and we may have probably played him too many minutes, but he was a big boost for our team. What he's been through, everyone knows a lot, but they still don't know the entire story. Getting Kevin back was twofold, because the team is such a different group with him out on the floor. He is big, and physical, and is really a playmaker. He does so much for us, and has so much experience in his two full seasons here. We know that we have to be careful, because he's still not at a hundred percent, but he's safe, and I have to credit all the doctors who have been working with him around the clock over these last seven weeks to get him to where he is today."

"We do what we have to do, and one thing we are good at, is defending the three. Ball State went seven of nineteen in the first half, but in the second, we limited them to two for nine, but they were one for eight before they got that last three. It was a dramatic change in the game, as were our ability to limit our turnovers. We had three in the second half, while Ball State had eight. We pressured the ball, and adjusted our man defense, and it helped."

"I have to give Nick Johnson a lot of credit. He played his first game here as a point guard, and that is a very difficult task. The pressure is high. He is just such a winner, and brings so much energy to our team. We are extremely fortunate to have him.

Arizona Players Quotes

Solomon HillOn locking down defensively and preparation for New York
"We were being more mobile tonight, and the other team starting losing their points that they had from the first half. The steps that we are taking to execute and be a better team are helping the team out a lot. In the next couple of days the team will have to take a look at films and practice to prepare for New York."

On Kevin Parrom playing tonight
"It felt good to have Kevin back on the court tonight. I'm so used to playing with him. Seeing Kevin on the court was a sigh of relief and I felt like all the pieces came together when he came back to the court."

Kevin ParromOn playing back on the court
"It was an amazing feeling to be back on the floor tonight. It was a last minute decision to play tonight, but I'm not there yet, I'm still recovering."

On Coach Miller giving a hug at game's end
"Coach is more than a coach to me, and I told coach that I was good to go tonight and coach threw me out there. I'm still not 100 percent but I'm still working to get back to where I should be."

On Parrom's processing of emotions
"It was good to hear the crowd there for me. I really needed that tonight after everything that I have been going though lately."

Nick JohnsonOn improving in the second half:
"Our defense was different in the second half. We played with more energy and confidence."

On transitioning to college basketball
"I want to be on the court and help the team. I can handle playing two roles and the coach normally doesn't let us do that. This has been a transition. I am starting to play the point guard role from scratch playing in college."